


come morning light

by pheonix85



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Kid Peter Parker, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Protective Peter Parker, this is an attempt at PRE pre-stony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28099143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pheonix85/pseuds/pheonix85
Summary: Peter watches his father fly a nuke through a wormhole and is mad at first. There's a Captain on the ground, and aren't they in charge?But then, Peter realizes, if only there was someone his dad would listen to during times like this, someone that could maybe keep him from doing such dangerous and scary things...Enter: Steve Rogers
Relationships: Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 97
Collections: Irondad Fic Exchange 2020





	come morning light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [geekymoviemom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekymoviemom/gifts).



> geeky, I am so. so. so sorry this is late. Life has been crazy, but I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you have a very happy holiday.

Peter wasn’t sure what to make of what had happened of the days surrounding the Chitauri invasion of New York City

He had only lived in the Tower for a little while. Heck, he’d only really been around Tony regularly for a few years. After Afghanistan, his father had taken a bit more of interest in having him around; his Aunt May and Uncle Ben had been wary about it for the first year or so but then had warmed to it a bit more when they saw them together, and especially when Tony had moved back to spend more time in the city to oversee the work being done on the high rise.

Peter hadn’t been at the Tower, during the fight. He’d been in Queens, watching the TV on the floor of their living room as a group of superheroes fought against something no one had ever seen before.

During one of the many closeups of his father in his suit, Uncle Ben had laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed a little.

“Should we be letting him---” Peter had heard May whisper, but she’d stopped and he assumed Ben had just waved her off.

Peter had watched, rapt and unblinking, as the Iron Man armor had zoomed by the cameras, the newscasters saying that he appeared to have “ _some kind of explosive?_ ” carried on his back.

The cameras had zoomed out. Peter had watched as the suit had carried and carried and carried, up high in the sky and finally, out of the frame entirely.

Tony had essentially just. Disappeared.

Peter had never really thought much about he and Tony. He knew that his father had started coming around a couple years after Momma and Richard had been killed in the plane crash. Tony had been nice at first, if not a little awkward, but Peter had quickly started to look forward to a visit by the man. It was only a few times a year at first, but he’d always bring something fun for Peter to play with. Most of the time the things were shiny and new, some cool robot toy the man had maybe built himself. 

  
Then there was one time, the man had come with a box full of old things with an excuse of spring cleaning.

Peter had slowly riffled through the box. It had been filled with trinkets and old comic books and other toys that looked gently well worn. He had frowned a little because, where was the blinking and rolling bot that Tony had brought before? The cool science set they’d played with out in the backyard of their apartment complex?

But that time...all of the things were all old!

Peter had known he should be grateful for gifts, though, and as he began to sort through the pile of things, he found himself more and more curious by the toys he was sorting through. 

“Find anything in there that sparks your interests?” Tony hummed, sliding onto the floor next to him. His face had looked weird, like he wasn’t sure about what Peter was going to say, like he was nervous. Peter had shrugged and kept digging, until a few items at the very bottom, buried under all of the other, caught his attention.

“What’s this?”

Peter pulled out a toy Jeep, an old timey looking war vehicle, with a man dressed in red pants and blue looking vest, his eyes covered with a mask. Tony had sat up straight, his mouth pressing into a line and he’d pressed his mouth into a flat line, trying to figure out what to say.

“That….hm, I didn’t know that was…” He cleared his throat and leaned closer, giving Peter a small smile. “ _That_ is Bucky Barnes. He’s Captain America’s friend who fights with him.” Tony frowned a little, leaning closer to the box and rustling around until he smiled wider and pulled out something else.

Peter brightened a little more.

The figure was dressed all in blue, save for a band of vertical red and white stripes across his midsection. His entire face was covered by a blue mask and in his hand, was a round shield.

“This," Tony began, handing it to Peter. “Is Captain America. He fought the bad guys in a really big war a long time ago. He helped save the world.”

Peter watched as Tony stared at it, rubbing the figures face with his thumb. He had a funny look on his face as he sighed. “My dad gave him to me.” He looked up a little at Peter, and smiled softly. “Now I guess he’s all yours.”

That man has been on the screen too. He was staring up at the sky from a smaller picture in the corner of the screen, while the main shot showed the opening in the sky. Peter began to breathe heavy.

“Aunt May?” Peter asked, voice cracking a little. “Aunt May, where did he...where is he…” 

“ _Ben_.” May breathed, sounding uncertain herself.

The man in blue moved then, stepping a few paces forward, looking up into the sky while he pressed his finger to his ear, saying something none of them could hear.

Screams from the people watching on the ground filled the room, and there it was, as the main shot filled the screen, a spot of red began to fall, falling so fast it blurred, before disappearing amongst the skyscrapers. 

The newcaster droned on and Peter couldn’t help but stare. He’d stared and he’d stared and he hadn’t even realized he was crying until Ben had picked him up and taken him into his room to sit with him on the bed.

But Tony had called. Tony had called an hour later, directly to the house phone. Peter had been closest and answered and cried a little more as Tony tried to soothe him, and eventually he let the phone slip to Ben and he went back to his room.

The Captain had been on the ground, watching. The Captain, the person who was supposed to be in charge, he had let his dad do that, had let his dad almost leave and Peter decided in that moment that he didn’t like the Captain very much at all. 

As soon as the roads leading into midtown had opened back up, May had driven him to the tower and dropped him off and it had been two days since the fight, and everything was a complete mess.

Peter watched his dad from across the room, seated on the marble bar top of the Penthouse level where they'd finally captured Loki. Tony was bustling around, giving men in work clothes direction. At one point, he stopped in front of him to wipe some dust off Peter’s nose and smiled. 

“Kiddo, you sure you want to stay up here? It’s awfully loud, I won’t be much longer.” He paused, smile softening a bit. “I’m not going anywhere, Pete, I promise.”

“I know,” Peter stated, trying to sound confident and grown up. He tilted his chin up, staring back at his father. “I just...I like watching them tear down all the stuff.”

The look Tony gave him in return made Peter think his dad didn’t really believe him, but he left it at that. Instead, he just patted Peter on the knee once, letting it rest there, before leaning in to ghost a kiss across the boy’s forehead and turned back to the task at hand.

The next few days were more of the same. Peter followed his father around pretty closely, almost always in the same room. He was pretty sure Tony was equally comforted by his proximity; his father touched him often, a hand between his shoulders or through his hair, sometimes pulling him close and landing a kiss on the top of his head. 

A few days after the wormhole incident, Peter was sitting in the communal kitchen, eating breakfast when Tony entered, dressed in a suit, clearly prepared to go out for the day. Peter paused, watching him carefully, his rising concern unnoticed. Peter cleared his throat.

“Where’re you going?”

Tony glanced down at him with a soft sigh. “We have to go see Thor off with his brother. You’re going to stay here with Pepper, but I'll be home right after with Dr. Banner, I promise.”

Peter wanted to object but his dad seemed tired. Between the workers at the tower cleaning up everything and the news people and that dude that visited yesterday with the eye patch, his dad probably wasn’t sleeping much, so he kept quiet and returned to his cereal.

He barely looked up when he heard another person on the tile behind him, assuming it was Pepper or Dr. Banner. His attention piqued though as his dad pocketed his phone and gave the person a polite smile. “Hey Cap, how are things?”

_Cap_. That got Peter’s attention. He looked up, sliding to his feet, staring wide eyed at the man. Captain America seemed to suddenly realize he was there and his expression shuttered.

“Oh. I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, I didn’t realize you had company.”

“Steve, I swear to god, please don’t call me Mr. Stark, it just gives me the heebie jeebies. It’s Tony.” Peter felt his father’s hand settle between his shoulder blades, pulling him forward, closer to where Steve stood in front of them. “And this isn’t really company, he lives here. Part time. Steve, this is my son, Peter.”

“Your...your son?”

Tony gave Peter a little half smile before looking back at Steve. “Yeah, it’s not exactly public knowledge, considering our line of work, but I think he’s a little spooked after what happened.” Tony nudged Peter with his knee. “Pete, say hi to the Captain.”

But Peter didn’t _want_ to say hi to the Captain, to the man who stayed on the road as his father flew a bomb into space. He turned away from the man in the leather jacket, pressing his face into Tony’s side.

“ _Peter_ ,” Tony said, sighing gently. “Hey, what is going on with you?”

“Don’t like him,” Peter mumbled, but his voice was muffled by his father’s coat and Tony sighed again at what probably sounded like gibberish, unable to understand a word of it. Steve didn’t move except to raise a brow and Tony gave him a shrug.

“He’s probably tired. It’s been a rough few days,” Tony replied lamely, kneeling down, taking his son’s forearm gently in hand. “Kiddo, I promise, i’ll be back as soon as I can, alright?”

“In time for dinner?”

Tony curled a finger, lightly bumping Peter’s chin as he stood. “Way sooner than that. But how about this, pick out a movie or two and we’ll make popcorn OR ice cream---not both, not after last time---and we’ll have some fun before it’s bedtime, just you and me, hm? Sound like a good time?”

Peter supposed that was an alright deal. It had been awhile since they’d done a fun movie night, especially when the last one had ended up with him getting sick after shoving his stomach full of all sorts of food that shouldn’t be mixed. Peter nodded. “Okay. I’ll...i’ll look then.”

“Sounds great,” His dad replied, ruffling his hair. “Check with Pepper if you need help accessing the inventory. I gotta run and grab something real quick from my room I forgot. You mind keeping the Captain company Peter, while he waits?”

Peter fought to keep a sour look from his face. “Sure.”

Peter watched as his father disappeared down the hall to where their rooms were. He pointedly avoided the gaze of the Super Soldier in the room, but he could feel it on him. 

“You know,” The man---Steve, he’d heard his father call him--- started over to him. “I don’t know that we’ve known each other long enough for you to not like me.”

Peter’s cheeks burned. The man didn’t sound angry or upset, he sounded...almost amused. Peter crossed his arms and finally looked up at the man. Taller than his father, broad shouldered with yellow hair, the man stared down at him with a little smile on his face. “You almost let me dad get hurt!”

Steve straightened up, stopping in his step. HIs mouth dropped open a little and any amusement was gone from his expression. “What? Peter, I…”

“A Captain is the one in charge, right? My dad almost got really hurt and you...you just stood there!”

Steve’s face flushed and he remained still, except for his hands coming up in an imploring kind of gesture. When he began to speak, his voice was more gentle and low. “Peter, I didn’t---”

“Okay, got what I needed, I’m ready to---what’s going on?”

Tony slid back into the room, stuffing something into his pockets, finding his 10 year old son and Captain America staring at each other from a few feet away. Neither the man or the boy moved, so Tony stepped further into the room. “Peter, I asked you a question.”

“It’s nothing,” Steve offered. “Just....getting to know each other.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. Peter watched as his father looked between the two of them, clearly picking up that something was going on, but appeared to decide to leave it for the moment. They had more pressing matters to attend to.

“Mmhmm. I’m sure. We’ll talk about it later.” Tony said, casting one last glance between the two of them before gesturing for Steve to follow. “C’mon. We gotta get over to the drop spot to see the Asgardians off. Fury’ll pop a gasket if we’re late.”

Steve followed Tony’s lead, starting to speak as they entered the elevator, but Peter couldn't hear them. He managed one last glare at the Star Spangled man before the doors closed.

The afternoon passed slowly. J.A.R.V.I.S helped Peter figure out how to access his father's inventory of movies and decided on a couple to choose from---Toy Story 3, Percy Jackson and some Disney movie that wasn't even out yet that looked kind of like a video game.

Pepper came up to check on him around lunch and brought sandwiches, which was always a welcome surprise. Peter had always liked Ms. Potts and he'd been a little sad when she had stopped being his dad's girlfriend, but he understood how Tony being Iron Man was scary. It was scary for him too, but he wouldn't ever want his dad to not be his dad. He just wanted him to be more careful. 

She asked him about school and his friends, and Aunt May and Uncle Ben. After they ate, she asked him if he wanted to play some video games and before too long it was almost 4 in the afternoon and the elevator doors were opening to show his father had returned, Dr. Banner in tow, along with---

Peter frowned a little. The Captain was there too, leather jacket over brown slacks, a half smile on his face as he listened to something Bruce was saying to him. Peter humphed, slouching where he was sitting on the sofa. He stayed there, chin pressed to his chest, watching the screen as Pepper made her way with him on the Mario Kart track.

“Well if that’s not the most abysmal performance I’ve ever seen from you at the Coconut Mall,” Tony’s voice came from behind them, and Peter felt a hand slide over his forehead. “You feeling okay kiddo?”

Peter grumbled, pulling away. “Just tired. We’ve been playing for awhile,” He paused. “I beat her already on a bunch of other tracks.”

“He’s not wrong,” Pepper interjected wryly, setting the controller down and rising from the couch to give her boss a small smile. “How’d everything go?”

“Well, the homicidal extraterrestrial is back where he belongs so as of now, everything is right in the universe.” Tony gave them a tight smile. “Anyway. I’m gonna take Brucie down to the lab, get his access all sorted. Pep, you mind tagging along to make sure we cover all the right protocols and what not? Wouldn’t want Happy having a meltdown if there’s not a record of the request in the system or anything.”

SHe rolled her eyes at him, then turned her attention to Peter, bending down to the couch to grab her purse. “Rematch soon, Pete. I’ll catch up to you.”

“You can try.”

She playfully patted him on the head, then rounded the couch, heading towards the elevator. Bruce said his goodbyes to Steve and followed, turning to Tony expectantly.

“Ah yeah. Right,” Tony looked between Peter and Steve, then back to his son. “20 minutes, I promise. I’ll be right back.”

Forcing himself to smile, Peter shrugged. “S’okay.”

“Good man. You pick out some movies for later?”

Peter nodded and relayed his choices, and Tony blanched. “Toy Story 3, really? You want to make Steve cry himself to sleep before he heads to DC in the morning?”

“There’s that cool video game one too though.”

Tony smiled softly. “Oh yeah, I forgot Bob sent that over. We’ll start there and then we can figure it out. We’ll get pizza.” His gaze flickered to Steve. “You’re more than welcome to join, if you’d like Steve.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I think I should probably get things together before I head out in the morning.”

“Well suit yourself. Just trust me, Disney’s made some outstanding advances in 70 years.” Tony stuffed his hands in his pants, nodding towards his son. “20 minutes.”

“I’ll be _fine_ ,” Peter whined. 

“Alright, alright, I’m going,” His gaze flickered back to the super soldier. “And be nice to our guest.”

His father walked away after sending Peter a very pointed look. Peter fought the urge to roll his eyes, but sunk down into the couch, reaching for the remote and putting on Cartoon Network. They sat quietly together even after Tony had gone, until Steve cleared his throat once, then twice, clearly trying to pull Peter’s attention.

“I thought a lot about what you said earlier, Peter. And...and um, you know, you were right.” Steve pressed his lips together and rubbed his thighs as he sat on the couch adjacent to where Peter was. “I am the Captain of the Avengers. And when something...doesn’t go the way it’s supposed to, you know, I have to take responsibility for that.”

Peter’s gaze slid to the side, glancing at the man out of the corner of his eyes. Steve was looking at him, straight on and eyes clear and wide. Peter was irritated, just for a moment, because the man seemed so honest and kind that it made it hard to hold the grudge. He felt himself relax a little, felt the tension in his arms release. He squirmed a little where he sat, sitting up taller. “S’alright.”

“No, it’s not. It’s really not.” Steve sighed. “I’m a little---” Steve gave him a half smile, a funny little one that didn’t seem like he wanted to laugh. “I’m a little rusty after so much time off but I promise Peter. I’m gonna do better.”

Peter watched him, quiet and thinking. He sat up again, hands now at his side, flat against the white leather couch. “Thank you.” He replied softly, then paused, looking down at his lap. “I know my dad is...he doesn’t like to listen to other people. I know that.”

And at that…at that, Steve actually laughed out loud a little, smile spreading to split his face. “No. No, it doesn’t seem like he does,” Steve replied, smile softening. “Your dad is a really good guy though, Peter. He’s a hero.”

Peter’s chest twisted. It was so difficult, to feel so proud and happy of someone, and yet so worried and scared and a little mad at him, for always putting himself in such danger. Not knowing what to say, he could only nod. 

“I promise Peter,” Steve repeated, leaning closer. “I’ll do everything I can to get him to trust me. To make sure he comes home.”

Steve seemed like he meant it. And it seemed like he really wanted Peter to believe he meant it. Peter nodded at him, then turned back to the television, quietly, not really sure what to say.

Steve seemed fine with that. He relaxed back on the couch, focusing back on the television. He stared at it, brows creasing as he watched, and Peter remembered that Steve was from another time, based on what his father had said. And maybe that meant Steve wasn’t sure what to make of the show playing on the screen. Maybe Steve wasn’t sure how to make out of any of this.

For the first time, Peter felt a little bad about how he’d felt about the man. Steve was right, his dad didn’t make it easy for people to help him. He could remember too many times when Ms. Potts or Uncle Rhodey had raised their voices to him, clearly frustrated, but at least his dad would sometimes listen to them, would almost consider their advice.

So...in order for his dad to listen to Steve, may he’d have to feel the same way about Steve. He’d have to believe in Steve the way he believed in Pepper or Rhodey. So if Peter could help his dad believe in Steve…well, then maybe Steve might have more luck keeping his dad safe. 

Peter cast one more look at the man, who looked uncertain and a little out of place, but Peter had felt it, the way Steve had insisted he’d keep his dad safe. 

All Peter had to do...was get his dad to trust him. 

* * *

“So uh…” Tony began, grabbing a grape and tossing it in his mouth. “What’s up with this, we like Steve now, thing?”

“What?” Peter asked, acting clueless. “I don’t know, I don’t know…?”

Tony frowned at him. “I know you’re a genius kid, and you’re pretty good on the social uptake, so you don’t get to play all innocent with me. What’s with this, ‘Steve is so great’ thing you’ve been playing at?”

So. Maybe Peter hadn't been as subtle as he had hoped. 

“I always liked Mr. Rogers.”

His dad raised a brow, giving him a withering look. “Uh, you think I didn’t notice the stink eye you were giving him back after what happened a few weeks ago? Or the fact that you've been a one man factoid machine on the glorious history of Captain America the past two weeks? Why the change of heart?”

Peter refocused on his breakfast in front of him, picking at his eggs. His dad had mentioned a few things about Captain America when he was younger, but he’d never given Peter too many details. After the Battle in New York when he’d been home with May and Ben, he’d spent some time looking up stuff online about Captain America from a long time ago and he found out about all _sorts_ of stuff the man had done. Like when he rescued his friends from the bad guys in Europe, a whole bunch of them, all by himself, or when he helped win the war, or even other stuff from before he was even Captain America, when he was just some nobody, helping out people around his neighborhood. It seemed like the stories of people who knew Steve Rogers when he was just a skinny kid in Brooklyn were endless once the man was famous. 

And then of course---the thing he’d heard about, Captain America saving the world, sacrificing himself; the thing that had brought him here. But that had just made Peter sad.

He shrugged, knowing his dad was still watching him. “I...I don’t know. I just...didn’t know anything about him before. But now I do,” He looked up at his dad, and grinned a little half smile. “He seems super cool. You should listen to him.”

Tony squinted, mouth twisting. “Mmhmm. Eat your breakfast.”

They finished their food in silence, and once they were done and washed up their dishes, Peter followed his father down into his lab. He sat on a stool, keeping his father company as he worked on upgrades for his suit and some other stuff for SI that Ms. Potts had asked for. He was in the middle of telling his father about a project that he was working on at school with his friend Ned when Jarvis interrupted them to relay the message that Captain Rogers was on his way to the lab, freshly arrived from D.C for a week of Avengers team meetings.

Peter turned to look at the doors, while his father seemed completely uninterested in the arrival of his teammate. Steve entered, dressed in only jeans and a t-shirt, looking well rested and relaxed, much more than he’d been the last time Peter had seen him. He smiled a little bit at Peter and nodded before coming to a stop, stuffing his hands in his pockets looking expectantly at Tony, who was still turned away from the both of them. It didn’t stop him from speaking, though.

“Hey Cap. How’s it going, how was your trip up?” Tony tossed his screwdriver on the workbench and turned, leaning back against the table and crossing his arms. Steve nodded, shrugging a little. 

“Was nice,” He replied. “Took the scenic route, not a lot of traffic. It’s a beautiful ride up here.”

Tony’s brow’s raised in unison. “Quinjet would’ve been faster.”

Steve smiled a little, then shrugged again. “I liked the time to myself.”

Tony tilted his head a bit. “Introspective. I can appreciate that.”

Peter watched the men go back and forth a little, playing off each other easily. He’d watched his father do this before with people, poke and prod with his words, sometimes playful, but there always seemed to be another reason. Peter sometimes wondered if it was a way his father figured out how smart someone was, how well they noticed things, but Peter also knew that sometimes it just amused him. Tony liked to see how far he could push people, and the Captain, it seemed, wasn’t anywhere near his limit.

As if the man knew Peter was thinking about him, Steve shifted to turn his attention towards the boy. “Peter, how have you been since I last saw you?”

“Good,” He chirped in response. “How do you like your new job?”

Steve smiled a little more. “Well, it’s not really new but...it’s alright. Getting back into the swing of things. Thank you for asking.”

Tony gave his son a fond smile and walked over to stand closer to his son, running a hand through the boy's hair, before returning his focus to Steve. “How’s life as an Avenger treating you?”

Neither of the Starks missed how Steve’s expression twitched and fell a little as the man sighed. “Um. That’s...I don’t know, really. It’s...strange. The people, I mean, and knowing who I am. Before I went to Europe, you know, I did those tours with the cowl on, and no one really bothered _me_ but now everyone knows and,” Steve scratched at his head, shrugging. “It’s odd. To find out that there were like...collectors cards or radio shows, people know things about me that aren’t even true.”

“It can be a lot to get used to,” Tony replied, his trademark sarcasm gone from his tone. “When you become a public figure people tend to think they have carte blanche access to you.”

Steve nodded. “I guess you would probably know a lot about that. So, yeah. That’s weird. But it’s alright, I’ll get used to it.”

“Dad had your doll when he was a kid,” Peter piped in and Steve’s eyes went wide, mouth twitching at the corners. 

“Is that so?”

“ _Action figure_ ,” Tony hissed, glaring at Peter, before turning back to Steve. “It was an _action figure_ , and Howard got it for me for like my 8th birthday or something, I don’t know.” Tony swung back to his son, giving him a pointed look. “Besides, now it’s Peter’s.” 

“Somewhere in the basement at Aunt May’s,” Peter said back, a fake sweet smile on his face. “I’m too old for dolls.”

The look Tony sent him was a warning and Peter could only bite back a laugh. It was funny when his dad got flustered, because it hardly ever happened, and Peter was starting to notice that there was something about Steve that seemed to make his dad react in a weird kind of way.

“Aunt May?”

“And Uncle Ben, my other dad’s brother. They live in Queens, and I stay with them sometimes.”

“Oh. Right,” Steve’s gaze flickered to where Tony stood, then back to Peter. “Queens, hm? I grew up from Brooklyn.”

Peter curled his lip. “My uncle doesn’t let me go to Brooklyn because he says it’s not real New York anymore..”

“ _Peter_ ,” Tony scolds lightly. “Steve, I'm sorry, he’s talking about gentrification...”

Steve only smiles. “Tony, it’s fine. Just a little old fashioned ribbing between the boroughs,right Queens?”

Peter gave him a little grin back. He had actually grown to like Steve Rogers. The man was funny in a subtle sort of way and didn’t ever get wound up about stuff the way his dad could. Peter tilted his head, struck with an idea. “You wanna come to a Mets game with us this weekend?”

“ _Peter_.”

“What? You said he liked baseball, we’re going to a baseball game this weekend, they’re playing the Yankees.” Peter looks back at Steve. “It’s dad’s birthday too!”

Steve just stared on, clearly amused at their banter. “I believe I heard something about that. I do appreciate the invite, but I don’t want to impose on family time…”

“It wouldn’t be. An imposition, I mean,” Tony clarified, then turned back to Peter, brows raising meaningfully. “I just know that you’re here for a short time before you have to go back to D.C and I don’t want you to feel like you have to, if there’s other things you may want to do.”

“Dad has a box right behind home plate though,” Peter told him. “And you get all the popcorn and hot dogs and soda you want.”

“All the hot dogs you want, huh?” Steve’s gaze flickered to Peter, then back to Tony. “Sounds like you have a pretty swell setup there.”

Tony barked out a laugh, a wry, half smile on his face. “Swell is a word for it. But...you are more than welcome to join. Pepper and Rhodey and Bruce will be there too, so it could be fun. But don’t feel obliged…”

“It’s been years since I’ve caught a game,” Steve said, then sort of went still, something strange passing over his face. “The Mets and the Yankees are rivals, right? Like...the Dodgers used to be?”

“Aw yeah, I _hate_ the Yankees.” Peter said, face twisting into a scowl.

“We don’t say hate.” Tony scolded gently, almost automatic. 

“Well, I don’t like the Yankees either, Peter.” Steve gave him a smile, then looked back at Tony. “That kind of sounds...it may be good, for me to do something else than...this." Steve gestured to the surrounding equipment, much of it related to the Avenger's arsenal. "To be around some...some friends. If you really don’t mind.”

“Of course. You’re more than welcome.”

And Peter beamed. _Friends_. Steve and his dad were becoming _friends_ and if that were any indication, then maybe, just maybe...Tony would start to listen to the man.

* * *

Or he wouldn’t.

The baseball game was a lot of fun. Steve had spent most of the night inside the private suite, talking to Rhodey or Bruce and watching the game. Peter thought it looked like he had fun, and even seemed to be relaxing around his dad, and Peter expected they were well on their way to being friends.

And then came Toronto.

Peter was out with his Uncle Ben when it happened. A group of people had taken hostages at the CN Tower in the city and had hijacked the antennae at the very top of the landmark. From what the news could gather, it seemed they were planning on using some kind of mind control device to essentially make the people of the city do whatever they had planned. The Avengers were deployed to help---Captain America, The Widow, The Hulk and of course, Iron Man.

They were at, of all places, a local electronic store in the city getting something for Aunt May’s record player. There was an entire wall of flat screen televisions hung up that were playing some movie. Peter was half watching when the news broke in and the sight of the group of heroes filled the screen. 

Peter’s eyes locked on the image of his father’s suit, cutting through the air, curving around and around the Tower as he rose to where the needle was at the top. This was the first battle after New York, they hadn’t really been called out for anything since then. There were men with guns and other sorts of weapons.

Iron Man stopped still in midair at point, head tilting down towards the ground. The camera zoomed in, trying to get an idea of what was going on, when the armor reversed course and headed towards the ground. When he landed, the Captain was waiting, squared up and giving his father a stern, unreadable look. 

Peter couldn’t hear a word of what was being spoken, but his dad’s body language told him plenty. Tony was facing off, waving one of his arms erratically, motioning towards the antenna. The Captain seemed to be growing agitated, and Peter’s chest got tight as the camera’s switched to another scene of the Hulk picking up two of the men, clad all in black, and smashing them together like they were paper dolls.

When the footage flipped back, his father was flying through the air once more, this time with his gauntlets gripping the straps that kept Cap’s shield on his back. Iron Man surreptitiously dumped the man on the platform before drifting back and up a little, looking like he was staying clear of whatever Cap was about to attempt, gauntlets raised and ready to defend the scene.

“ _Peter_ ,” Ben’s voice came from behind, stern but not angry. Peter didn’t turn, and he felt his uncle’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Peter,” The man said once more, more gently. “Peter, we have to go. We’ll check in when we get home, I promise. He’ll be fine.”

Peter craned his head around, looking up into his Uncle’s face. The man didn’t look as sure as Peter would have hoped, but he quickly realized there were other people standing behind them, watching with Peter. If something happened---

Peter’s eyes prickled, heart beginning to beat fast. If something bad happened here, everyone...everyone might figure out who he was. Peter would surely be so upset, they may wonder, may ask questions and if something happened…

Ben was right, as much as Peter didn’t want to pull himself away, but he allowed it. He walked in a fog, Ben’s free hand on his shoulder the whole way back to their apartment. When they arrived, the television was already on, and the scene had resolved. The Avengers were standing in a group at the base of the Tower, police milling around, taking statements from the hostages, but all in all, they looked fine.

Well, sort of fine. Tony’s faceplate was pulled back, revealing his face, expression taught. Steve was next to him, looking as if he were explaining something, and Peter saw his dad rub his forehead with a shake of his head, looking worn out.

As it turned out, Peter wasn’t going to have to wait for the weekend to find out the details. Later that evening, Aunt May told him to get a few things together, that he was going to the Tower a few days early. Her expression was pinched and worried, which made Peter worried. What if something had gone wrong and he han’t been able to tell from the footage? What if Tony had been hurt, inside the suit and he hadn’t been able to see it? What if---

“Everything’s fine, Peter,” May assured, seeing his panic. “I think your dad just had a rough day and wants to see you. We’ll come get you on Sunday, just like normal.”

The ride over took hardly any time at all, and May carried his bag in behind him as Peter bolted from the elevator as they got to the communal floor. Natasha and Bruce were there with Tony, settled on the giant sectional in front of the television, but only Tony rose as they made their way inside, squatting to one knee as Peter came rushing forward.

“Oh, man, alright, alright,” Tony held him close, a hand brushing over the back of his head. “Pete, honey, it’s alright, everything’s okay.”

Peter hadn’t realized it but he was shaking. He hung on to his dad for a few more quiet moments, peeking a little where the other Avengers were seated. None of them seemed to be watching, choosing to give the two their privacy, and when Tony inched back a little, Peter let go, hands still trembling. Tony looked up at May behind him, giving her a weak smile.

“Weren’t kidding, were you?” He kept a hand on Peter’s arm and rose up, taking Peter’s pack from her. “I’ll talk to him.”

Peter’s face burned. So they had already talked about this. How much, he couldn’t know. His dad had acted strangely gentle after the battle with Loki, but Peter had thought that was more because of how upset Tony was about everything, rather than how Peter had felt. 

Tony and May talked a little more, just mostly boring nice adult stuff, before May kissed him on the top of the head and told him she’s be back Sunday. Tony waited until the elevator doors closed once more, giving it a few second befre he bumped Peter’s shoulder with his hip, the gestured with his head for the boy to follow.

They took the stairs. Peter knew they were going to the gym, because it was only a couple floors down. He’d been there before, mostly just for messing around as his dad got it ready for the other Avengers, and when they walked into the open space, covered in spongy, cloth mats and hanging bags placed in almost every corner, he saw Cap was there, beating up one of the targets.

“At ease, soldier,” Tony called. “Guest of honor is in the house.”

Steve gave the bag a few more punches before stepping back, breathing hard. He gave Peter a sort of pained smile and nod, before turning to grab a towel and water bottle, waving them over. There was a couch on the far side of the room and Tony ushered him there, sitting Peter down and watching him quietly, lips pressed together.

Peter’s stomach began to spin. Steve looked...guilty. Like he’d been found out, and his dad was giving him this gentle, concerned look and all Peter could think about was that day in the living room when Tony had taken Dr. Banner to the lab and left the two of them alone.

“Am I in trouble?” He blurted out the question, looking betweent he two men. Steve had thrown the towel over he shoulders, holding each end with one hand, pulling it tight over his chest. Nervous. 

“You’re not in trouble,” Tony started. “But Pete...are you…” He paused biting his lip. He crouched down then again, just like he had upstairs, folding his hands together. “Peter, you know you’re the most important thing to me right?” 

Peter looked up at Steve again, who was looking away, standing behind his father. When he looked back at Tony, he nodded, slowly.

Tony was quiet for a moment, then placed his hands over Peter’s. “Pete, did you tell Steve what happened during New York was his fault?”

Peter went still. “Dad, I---”

“Yes or no question, Peter,” Then he paused for a second. “You’re not in trouble, I promise.”

Peter looked between the two, then looked at his lap before nodding. “I wasn’t trying t’be mean…”

“You weren’t, Peter---”

Steve’s assurance faded when Peter felt his father shift, waving Steve off, though not unkindly. He felt his dad’s hand at his face, tilting his head back up, and what he found made him take a breath. 

Tony was looking at him with such an intense expression, so determined, he wasn’t sure how to take it. Peter swallowed, fidgeting a little, pulling back, but Tony made sure his hand stayed on his knee.

“Pete. Kid,” Tony’s voice was raspy. “I’m always gonna come home to you, you know that, right?”

But Peter had seen _it_. He’d watched as the armor had gone through the wormhole and he’d waited for what felt like forever for his father’s body to reappear, he’d listened to the news people say that it looked like Tony Stark may be _gone_ and he’d watched as the circle of sparkling light had tightened, then closed, in what Peter knew had been the Captain’s order---

“Peter, look at me,” Tony said softly. “I’m gonna come home.”

“Like Afghanistan?” Peter said suddenly, out of nowhere, even surprising himself. Tony’s eyes twitched, and behind him, Peter could see the Captain shift where he stood but he didn’t say anything.

“I did come home from Afghanistan. So yeah. Like Afghanistan.”

Peter wasn’t satisfied. “Like my mom?” and he was embarrassed as soon as he'd said it, of how his voice wobbled.

The wrinkles around his father’s eyes deepened, as if in pain, as if realizing he couldn’t make this promise and Tony’s movement became stilted, and he looked back at the Captain, as if he wasn’t sure how to answer. When he looked back at Peter, he just looked sad.

“Peter, do you think if I have someone looking out for me out there, that I won’t get hurt?”

“I---” Peter’s throat felt all thick and itchy and he sniffed. “I _don’t know_.”

“Aw, kiddo,” Tony sat up on his knees pulling him in to a hug. Peter began to ramble an explanation.

“Captain Rogers is a good person, and he saves people, and I just thought...I just thought…”

“Peter, it’s alright. It’s okay, honey, it’s alright, I know, I get it…” Tony pulled back, brushing the hair from Peter’s face. “If I promise to…” He sighed deeply, clearly not 100% comfortable with this deal. “If I promise to listen to Cap, it’ll make you feel better?”

Peter spared a look at the supersoldier now. Steve was looking down on them, watching with a tender expression on his face, clearly full of concern for the two of them. When he looked back at his dad, he nodded a little. 

"It's important. To have people to look out for you. Like...like we look out for each other, right?"

Tony's cheeks filled with a soft blush, eyes getting shiny. He gave Peter a shaky smile. "Yeah. Yeah, we look out for each other. Maybe…” Tony sighed. “Maybe we see abut...taking some time off from Iron Man. Pepper has mentioned it’s probably not good for you but…” He brushed Peter’s hair back again, even if it wasn’t in his eyes. “I don’t know. We’ll think about it. But I do promise, Peter, I’ll...i’ll try. I'll be as safe as I can. Even if it means listening to Steve, since apparently you think he has such better judgement than I do."

  
The last bit is clearly playful and Peter grins a little, leaning forward to hug his dad again. “He does,’ Peter insisted, letting his head rest against his dad’s shoulder. “Captain Rogers is really a good guy. I know he is.”

Tony shifted under his son, balancing his weight. Peter felt his grip tighten, felt his father sigh and even maybe laugh. Tony turned his head away, and Peter had to wonder if he was looking at the Captain out of the corner of his eye, as if to share a secret. “I know, kiddo. I know he is, too.”

  
  



End file.
